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Djouce dominates the views of the Wicklow Mountains from Roundwood and Newtown Mountkennedy. The Old Irish word dígas is defined by the Dictionary of the Irish Language as 'high, lofty; a height'. There is a Sliab Digsa mentioned in the Metrical Dindshenchas, where the second element is interpreted as a woman's name. This shows that the meaning of dígas was already obscure by the time of the Metrical Dindshenchas (12th century) and a story was probably invented to account for the name.
Djouce is the 93rd highest place in Ireland.Trackback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/91/?PHPSESSID=ihfsqm9aodo1f32u3bldslbem1

Djouce is fairly near Dublin and has good access from many sides. Its extensive views include much of north east Wicklow, the Irish Sea and nearer places such as the Great Sugar Loaf. Because of its attractions it is in 2015 the fourth most logged summit on MountainViews (after Carrauntoohil, Lugnaquillia and Slieve Donard).
The quickest way up is from the R759 to its SW where there are several car parks such as one at O1632 0845A. This will take around 90 minutes. Track 2113.
From the Old Coach Road (L1036) on Long Hill to the east there are also various places to start such as O1932 0774B which would take around 2.5 hours.
Perhaps the most popular and interesting route is from the north starting at Crone Wood Car Park O1926 1418C. A route including War Hill would take around 4 hours. Track 943.
It has an unattractive scar of a track from the summit east to the Wicklow Way. Trackback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/4851/

Wise Wicklow Way wanderers and their brilliant boardwalk

by YoungJohn 29 Jul 2010

On monday 26th July 2010 I drove out of Dublin to Enniskerry and headed for Roundwood turning right for the Sally Gap. I was endeavouring to do Paddy Dillons Walk No. 1 of White Hill, Djouce and War Hill. I parked on the right after Luggala Wood carpark, near the sign overlooking Lough Tay. A view worth driving for alone never mind the appearance of a reddish coloured hawk floating high on the warm summer breeze over the lake. I walked briskly along the forest path and stopped to view a second sign there. I should have gone down a path beside a stile nearly opposite the sign but erred and went along the forest path for nearly half an hour before turning back. I rued the loss of this hour but I did glimpse the mighty SugarLoaf when the horrid sitka spruce cleared for a few hundred yards. I returned to the sign, went down the bough covered path opposite and turned sharp left when it ended after a couple of hundred yards. This brought me to a wonder. I have to compliment and praise the wise people who designed and created the 'boardwalk'. What ever inspired them to place old railway sleepers side by side, end to end, cover them in chicken wire and staples for grip? Genius. I traversed the boardwalk over White Hill and with trusty stick braced myself against the ferocious gusts of wild wind blowing warm from the southwest in the gap between White Hill and Djouce. The wicklow way boardwalk veers suddenly to the right as one reaches the gravely trail to the top of Djouce. The views along the way are fantastic. Dublin Bay, Great Sugarloaf, Wicklow Harbour, The marvellous Wiclow Mountains all the way and further then Table Top, right over to Kippure. The vista from the Trig topped rock that is the zenith of mighty Djouce was breathtaking. The howling wind made sure that I was not without air for long! I clung to the Trig to take photo's and lingered for a good while over 'the sandwich' as I watched ships plough the waves of the Irsh Sea. I met but one family of Hikers, and that was at the start of the walk so I had the entire mountain to myself as I peered down at Poolbeg, Howth and beyond. Photo's don't do its grand views justice. I headed for Warhill but had to stop again to marvel at the 'Coffin' stone. I reckon it has to be a prehistoric tomb of sorts as other contributors have said. I sat in the sunshine for a break beside it and headed for War Hill across the boggy but passable gap, the wind still howling and the High Wicklow Peaks touching the clouds that threatened rain that thankfully never came. I intend to revisit this marvel of a mountain again God willing. (To end, I met a young Nordic couple as I left the 'hidden boreen' to the Wicklow Way and was delighted to spare them a wasted hour.). Trackback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/5978/

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Picture from Homerclesse : A Snowier Trig Point

Picture: A Snowier Trig Point

Homerclesse on Djouce, 2010

by Homerclesse 19 Feb 2010

Just back from a quick hike up Djouce, on a very cold February Friday with snow clouds covering the higher Wicklow Mountains. I started at Ballinastoe Woods carpark and took a right just after the maps. Continuing on the road till I reached a telegraph pole - where I took a short cut up the side of the woods. Following this trail brings you eventually to the wooden board walk which traverses Djouce, White Hill and down to the J.B. Malone memorial. I headed right here and followed the board walk until it took a sharp right. It's a simple matter of following the trail directly up from the board walk till you reach the Tors, and the Trig Pillar. A fair few people where up here already, huddling behind the rocks for shelter. It was at least -10 with wind chill. Most had approached from the Djouce woods side. I headed down that way, back towards the Wicklow Way, headed right around the Mountan until I picked up the board walk again. I took a bearing for the edge of the woods in Ballinastoe and trekked back to the car, across the Heather Deserts. Bad views today, but definitely try again when it's clearer. Trackback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/4407/

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Picture from padodes : Coffin Stone

Picture: Coffin Stone

padodes on Djouce, 2008

by padodes 16 Nov 2008

The OSI map indicates the presence of a cairn on Djouce, slightly north of the trig pillar, but any trace of it would seem to have been obliterated. Since the Irish word ‘dioghais’, from which Djouce is derived, is usually taken to mean a fortified height, perhaps it might not be implausible to see in that a reference to the old cairn that once stood on top. More interesting today is the so-called ‘Coffin Stone’ on the lower NW flank of the mountain (O 1719 1050D). In the OSI map (and also in the Harvey map of Wicklow), for some unknown reason this feature is indicated as a Standing Stone, but any source I have consulted speaks of a Portal Tomb at this point. The enormous coffin-like slab is a capstone that would have rested on two tall stones or portals at one end, forming an entrance, and would have sloped down to a back stone, providing support at the other. The chamber formed in this way would then have been walled in with side slabs compacted with big stones and might or might not have been enclosed in a cairn. Today the portals appear to have fallen outwards, but perhaps they were not very high to begin with. What strikes me as unusual about this tomb is that it is almost hidden away among the hills, whereas so many of the megalithic monuments we are familiar with in Dublin and Wicklow are well within view of the fertile plains or valleys where the people would probably have lived. A boggy track leads from the top of Djouce down to the Coffin Stone and on to War Hill, but its start can be difficult to find in mist and fog. Here and there, the rusty iron posts of an old deer fence serve as a handrail, too, when you can see them.

The photo of the Coffin Stone is a HDR image, which managed to capture the scene despite very dense fog at the time. That’s just my little plug in favour of the technique! Trackback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/3444/

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drcot on Djouce, 2006

by drcot 10 Feb 2006

Climbing last Sunday on Djouce, came across a couple of young "mountain bikers". It is hard to put your nose up to young fellows getting out into the air, escaping from their Playstations. I was tut-tuting at the environmental damage they were doing, as I tried to keep myself between the track guides, to prevent erosion, when suddenly I was confronted by 3 motorcylists scrambling between Djouce and War Hill.
To make it worse, there is a dedicated scrambling track on the other side of the road.
Remembering Mark Twain's famous comment that you should never underestimate the power of ignorant people in large numbers, I kept to myself I'm afraid!

I don't know if anyone patrols these areas for the National Park or Coilte - I suppose not. Its all a pity. I travelled on, and had a marvellous walk regardless.

This is a great site. Keep up the good work. Trackback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/2184/

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Picture from GWPR

GWPR on Djouce, 2003

by GWPR 2 Jan 2003

Saturday 22 Dec 2002 desperate to get a walk in before Christmas took over I approached Djouce from the boardwalk on the southern side, parking in the car park above the Pier Gates.
The day was very overcast with heavy mist and cloud with occasional breaks for fleeting glimpses of Luggala and the Sugarloaf. As I approached the summit the sun briefly appeared in the south creating the magical Brocken Spectre in the low lying cloud just under and north of me. Then the mist rolled back for a minute to reveal the reassuring summit trig point. A short enjoyable winters walk.Returning by the same route will take about 2 hrs in total. Trackback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/91/comment/251/